Page 20 of The Dragoneers of Longbourn and Pemberley
“People may grow,” Pemberley said, “but this is only a veneer of improvement hiding defects which still lurk within. My good opinion, once lost, is lost forever.”
“Your defect must be to hate everybody,” Valeraine said.
“And yours,” Pemberley pierced her with a penetrating gaze and a spiteful smile, “is to willfully misunderstand them.”
Valeraine understood them all perfectly:
Nethenabbi was an enthusiastic man with plenty of money and dragons and enough kindness to make Alyce very happy as they perpetually redecorated the manor.
Nedine was a tigress, capable and beautiful, proud of her position but not satisfied with it, hoping to attract Pemberley to her side.
Pemberley was the worst of them: proud and critical, taking a perverse delight in being rude to those dragon houses that were nottrue. He was an accomplished rider, undeniably. She could even admire his skillful articulation. But he was an irredeemable snob, and everything she despised in the dragoneers.
“My defect is that I am too devoted to my hatchlings,” Nedine said with a giggle, inserting herself back into the exchange.
Their tour of the nest continued with Nedine giving them the pedigree of each of the eggs.
Mr. Nethenabbi said, “It is a shame that the nest will not be completed sooner, or we could have better hosted the next derby.”
“You’re hosting another derby?” Valeraine asked.
“No, though I offered to. Mr. Rosings said he would not have his dragon sleep cramped in the mud, and so Rosings nest will host our next event in three weeks. You should all come! You and your sisters, of course, and your dragon rider would be welcome to race. The ball afterwards will be dazzling.” Nethenabbi looked at Alyce with hope.
“We would love to come,” Alyce said.
“Splendid. I will put Longbourn on the registration list for you.”
And so, Valeraine had three weeks to decide if she would race again.
Nethenabbi enthusiastically gave details of where stalls and rooms would be built in their nest. “It will not be furnished, but there are many more rooms in the house that still need to be decorated.”
“What a diverting project,” Alyce said, somewhat wistfully. “I wish I had an entire manor to remake.”
“You do! I mean, that is to say, I would like to invite you to assist me, if you are amenable.”
But before Alyce could give her answer (though it wasn’t exactly a suspenseful moment, as everyone knew what she would say from the smile beginning its spread across her face), Nedine tripped in front of Alyce, and they both went sprawling across the dirt floor.
As Nedine was springing back up, she was already saying, “Oh, I am so clumsy. You must forgive me. I must have tripped on this uneven ground. We really must get back to the manor’s smooth floors and send the Longbourn sisters on their way.”
Alyce did not get up. She rolled to a sitting position and cradled her right ankle in her hand, wincing.
Nethenabbi was on his knees beside her, leaning in close. “What’s the matter?”
“I’m sure she’s fine,” Nedine said. “Your poor trousers, they must be so dusty down there.”
Nethenabbi didn’t care about his trousers, apparently, because he didn’t even look at Nedine. His eyes were only for Alyce.
She said, “I think I’ve twisted my ankle; I’m not sure I can walk on it. Nedine, are you okay?”
Nethenabbi called a servant over, sending them to get a doctor. Then he scooped Alyce up in his arms, carrying her back to the manor. All the way Nedine attempted to convince him to let a porter do that, or to wait for the doctor, as he wasn’t being careful of his back (or dignity), or surely Alyce would rather wait in peace.
Though Nedine had evidently succeeded in distracting all from the invitation to decorate the manor, she had failed in her primary goal to distract her brother from Alyce.
When the doctor came, he ordered bedrest for Alyce, with absolutely no flying, carriages, or walking to jostle her sprained ankle. So, Alyce was invited to stay at Netherfield to recover, for as long as it took.
Valeraine mounted Lelantos alone, smiling to herself. Alyce was going to have plenty of time to discuss wallpaper and wood types with Mr. Nethenabbi.
Chapter seventeen
